Mayor Adams warned Curtis Sliwa and the Guardian Angels to stay in their lane as the volunteer vigilante group announced they would resume subway patrols in the wake of a woman killed after being set on fire on a Brooklyn F train.

“If Curtis wants to be back down in the subway system when he sees something, he should say something and do something,” Adams said Tuesday. “Don’t overstep your boundaries like they did a few months ago when they arrested an innocent person. Let the police do their job.”

In February the Group came under fire after members attacked a man they falsely accused of being a shoplifting “migrant” in Times Square. The bizarre incident was broadcast live as Fox News’ Sean Hannity interviewed Sliwa, who directed a live camera to watch the scuffle.

The new patrols include conducting health checks on seemingly homeless people, distributing water and reporting problems to the NYPD. The Guardian Angels have announced their return to patrolling subways and streets at various points, particularly after high-profile violent incidents.

Teams of three will accompany the trains as they move through the system, the group said.

“I find it baffling that Eric Adams would want to discourage volunteers from helping the unprecedented suffering of the homeless in our subways every day,” Sliwa said in response to Adams’ comments, adding that the Guardian Angels do not make arrests.

The Angels want to expand their membership and post leaflets in train cars inviting straphangers to join.

Sliwa ran for mayor as a Republican in 2021 and is expected to do the same in the upcoming election.

The mayor noted the city’s declining crime statistics at his weekly news conference and said that overall, despite some disturbing incidents, New York is still safe.

“Crime is not increasing in the subway system,” Adams said. “You know, we’ve had some high-profile incidents and we’re really concerned about them. But overall crime is at its lowest.”

Originally published: December 31, 2024 at 3:58 pm EST